#VisitDresden

It’s anything but dusty and boring! The Historic Green Vault is a veritable a time machine. The Royal Palace safeguards the greatest treasures of Augustus the Strong, right next to his suits of armour. Just a few hundred metres away, you can admire his elegant state carriage in the Transport Museum.

The puppet theatre will delight younger visitors with fairy tales and other lovingly told stories, while the Junge Generation theatre offers fabulous, child-oriented theatre performances such as their latest production Das doppelte Lottchen. Curious to take a look behind the scenes? No problem with the junior guided tours of the Semper Opera House.

Another must-see is the Lügenmuseum (Museum of Untruths) at Radebeul. Provocatively playful, it gives a completely new – and good-humoured – insight into everyday life and society. If that’s not for you, you can instead enjoy a day of guaranteed universal truths at Erlebnisland Mathematik.

An extraordinary exhibition that invites you to experiment, reflect and marvel as mathematics is explained in a simple, accessible way and playfully brought to life for children.

Beastly fun in the heart of the city: At Dresden Zoo, you can get up close and personal with more than 250 species. From great apes to zebras, the zoo is home to countless animals from faraway lands. Or how about Meissen Zoo? The animal park laid out on a hill is home to the world’s smallest chickens.

For animals a little closer to home, visit the Moritzburg Wildlife Park. Its natural enclosures make deer, goats, foxes and mouflon feel especially at home. What’s more, you can feed the park’s wild boars with freshly collected acorns and chestnuts.

With its many animals, petting zoos and a wonderful mud and water playground, the Elbepark Hebelei Nature Adventure Centre is also a great day-trip destination.

This trail offers a short hike around Moritzburg. Passing the castle, you will wander through a landscape of forests and meadows before stumbling upon the wildlife park.

Are your kids raring to build, climb and romp with friends? Then you can do no better than one of the many open-air playgrounds in Dresden. They are sure to enjoy the Panama adventure playground in Dresden Neustadt, where you can also feed and pet animals.

A host of fun and games awaits children in Oskarshausen, the Moritzburg Adventure Park and Hains Water Park. All three are great fun for the whole family, offering an adventure paradise where you can play and explore. Still have energy to burn? Then head to the Superfly trampoline hall or the soccer arena.

Alternatively, look up! The high-rope courses at Mittelteich Moritzburg and in Bühlau provide an enjoyable challenge at multiple levels of difficulty. Meanwhile, your youngest can enjoy their first climbing experience on the children’s course closer to the ground.

Discover Dresden Elband together and learn something new along the way on its many educational trails, including the Streuobst am Zschonergrund and MärchenLebensPfad Heidenau discovery trails.

An unforgettable adventure in nature that sees you shimmy, climb and balance your way across twelve obstacle courses with different levels of difficulty.

Dresden Elbland and the Elbe itself – a wonderful combination! Panoramic views of the Old Town or the river snaking in front of the vineyards are beautiful, but they look even more stunning from the water.

A river cruise with the Saxon Steamboat Company, the oldest fleet of paddle steamers in the world, is sure to be a truly special experience for all the family.

A lazy alternative is a relaxed raft ride on the Elbe, though it becomes more of an adventure when the helmsman lets the little ones take the rudder.

The raft floats in a leisurely manner, following the currents of the Elbe. Sit back and let your children take (supervised) charge of the helm.

Does the idea of lazily steaming through a natural landscape appeal to you? Then we recommend a trip on the historic trains of the Lössnitz and Weisseritz Valley Railways. There is no more beautiful and comfortable a way to discover Dresden Elbland.

Dresden’s green heart beats a stone’s throw away from the historic Old Town. The Grosser Garten (Great Garden) – a public park covering almost 150 hectares – bears a truly fitting name. Discover it on foot or enjoy a more leisurely circuit on the miniature railway.

Dresden’s mountain railways are perfect for all those who enjoy a panoramic view of the surroundings. The suspension railway and the funicular railway in the eastern suburb of Loschwitz will take you to Weisser Hirsch with its plush villas and spectacular views of Dresden.

Lace up your hiking boots and get to know the green side of Dresden. Whether along the green banks of the Elbe, under the shade of 104,000 trees of the Heide or with a fantastic view from the slopes of the Elbe – Dresden Elbland is a dream region for hiking enthusiasts. Time to discover it!

The DDR Museum recreates everyday life in East Germany before the demise of the communist regime. Slip into a plastic apron and immerse yourself and the family in the German Democratic Republic, in a living room furnished just like one from that era.

Festung Xperience in the old walls of the Dresden Fortress beneath Brühl’s Terrace will take you a step further back in time, as Duke Moritz leads you into the dark vaults on an adventurous journey through 450 years of eventful city history.

Meanwhile, you will enter a completely different world in the Karl May Museum in Radebeul. ‘Villa Shatterhand’ is inscribed in golden letters on the former home of the world-famous storyteller. Come on in and get carried away by Winnetou’s great adventure!

Experience Dresden’s pompous times, debauched festivities and glamorous parades! When Friedrich August II invites you to a wedding, you should put on your VR goggles and take part. The Zwinger Xperience makes it possible.

Some well-known brands come from Dresden Elbland, such as Riesa pasta. If you’d like to see how the product is made, check out the ‘transparent’ factory tour. If you have a sweet tooth, a tour of the Chocolate Museum or Nudossi factory is sure to delight your taste buds.

Technology geeks will simply adore Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory, while the Children’s Museum’s World of the Senses – part of the German Hygiene Museum – puts all five senses to the test at a myriad of interactive stations. It’s perfect for children aged 5 to 12.

Did you know that approximately one third of Germany’s annual chocolate production comes from Dresden? Join us on the long journey from cocoa bean to tasty chocolate in the Camondas Chocolate Museum.

Are your children reluctant to go sightseeing or to embark on a bike tour on a hot summer’s day? No problem. Dresden Elbland has the perfect way to cool off, namely its water parks. The Georg Arnhold pool in the heart of Dresden or the wave machine in Meissen offer guaranteed fun – and a cool head!

If you prefer a more natural swimming environment, spring-fed pools such as the Lössnitzgrundbad Radebeul, the Elbgaubad Weinböhla or the Goltzscha are sure to fit the bill. Want to swim alongside the ducks and the fish? That’s also possible. You can race our aquatic friends on the Cosebaude reservoir or on lake Coswig-Kötitz.

Jump from the 2.5m-high diving rock into the cool water or simply plunge in and swim a few laps. The NaturErlebnisBad is a water-filled playground for the whole family.

Dresden Elbland has many great museums and other places that are sure to bring a smile to your face on rainy days. Once you work up a sweat at the airport’s Playport indoor playground or the climbing gyms, for instance, the rain outside will feel like a distant memory. If you don’t mind getting wet after all, you can also spend your day at the Elbamare indoor swimming pool.

For anyone who is still awake after being on the move all day, the cinema puts on a children’s show in the early evening. Alternatively, you can enjoy a child-friendly theatrical production at the Junge Generation theatre.

Children will love the slide races on the double tube slide, while parents can relax and let themselves be carried along in the current channel. For the very youngest, there is a children’s adventure area complete with a waterfall and ridable boats. Aquatic fun for all the family.

Castles and palaces have always fascinated young and old alike. In Dresden Elbland there are many of them – and each one tells its own story. Probably the most famous fairy-tale castle is the moated Moritzburg, which was the location of the enduringly popular movie Three Wishes for Cinderella.

Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen also boasts an impressive history. Today, Germany’s oldest fortified residence can be experienced conveniently and interactively. Meanwhile in Schloss Pillnitz, there are dangerous lions and Far Eastern masterpieces to discover.

A puzzle sheet leads children through the palace gardens. They have to find the right answer to each of nine tricky questions.